Major Gifts Fundraiser

Major Gifts Fundraiser 

Salary: Up to £45,000  

Location: Home based with occasional travel to Newark office/UK  

Full time: 35 hours per week (Mon-Fri)  

Permanent contract 

Closing date for applications: 26th January 2025  

First interview: 5th February 2025  

Second interview: 11/12 February 2025 

About Us  

The Wildlife Trusts are a federation of 46 charities, supported by a central charity, the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts. Together we have over 940,000 members, 32,500 volunteers and 3,400 staff across the UK. 

From precious peatlands and wildflower meadows to Britain’s lost rainforests, Wildlife Trusts have restored and care for some of the most special places for wildlife in the UK. We’ve re-wiggled rivers, brought back beavers to the UK and helped thousands of communities take matters into their own hands to bring back nature on their doorsteps. Collectively we manage more than 2,600 nature reserves, operate 123 visitor and education centres and own 29 working farms. We undertake research, we campaign for wildlife and wild places under threat, and we help people access nature. 

But we’re not standing still. The next few years will be critical in determining what kind of world we all live in. We need to urgently reverse the loss of wildlife and put nature into recovery at scale if we are to prevent climate and ecological disaster. We have an ambitious new strategy to address this, setting out our bold vision of nature in recovery with many more people taking action for wildlife,. 

About You 

We are seeking an exceptional major gifts fundraiser to join one of the UK’s most cherished nature charities at an exciting time in our 112-year history. You will be instrumental in expanding our network of high-net-worth individuals. Working closely with our major donor fundraising lead, chief executive, senior leadership team and Wildlife Trust colleagues, you will focus on prospecting and building high-quality, long-lasting relationships, that deliver a step-change for nature’s recovery in the UK. 

You will be a confident and engaging major gifts fundraiser, with the ability to express The Wildlife Trusts’ case for support in tackling the nature and climate emergencies, both through our work on nature’s restoration on the ground, and through our influencing, policy and campaigning work. You will be highly experienced in initiating and developing mutually beneficial relationships with individuals to achieve fundraising targets, with a proven track record of securing significant unrestricted funds. 

The Wildlife Trusts value passion, respect, trust, integrity, pragmatic activism and strength in diversity. Whilst we are passionate in promoting our aims, we are not judgmental and are inclusive. We particularly encourage applications from people who are underrepresented within our sector, including people from minority backgrounds and people with disabilities. We are committed to creating a movement that recognises and truly values individual differences and identities. 

The Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts takes our safeguarding responsibilities extremely seriously. Please click here to read our commitment statement. RSWT is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults at risk. For applicable roles, applicants must be willing to undergo checks with past employers and Disclosure and Barring Service checks at the eligible level. 

As a Disability Confident employer, we are committed to offering an interview to anyone with a disability that meets all the essential criteria for the post. Please let us know if you require any adjustments to make our recruitment process more accessible. 

RSWT are committed to increasing the diversity of its staff through its Levelling the Field recruitment pledge and will put any ethnic minority applicants that meet all the essential criteria for the post through to the next stage of recruitment. 

Please do not use artificial intelligence tools to assist you to complete the application form. We may not accept applications that have been completed utilising AI tools. If you would usually use tools such as these to assist you in filling in a form, please contact us to discuss this further and understand other options.